Closure for railroad cars



April 23, 1929. J. DOWN ET AL 1,710,046

CLOSURE FOR RAILROAD CARS Filed May 19, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet i INVENTOR. JOHN D0 w/v. y dosr y 2/ run.

A TTORNEYS.

April 23, 1929. J. DOWN ET AL 1,710,046

CLOSURE FOR RAILROAD CARS Filed May 10, 1926 3 Sheets-Shqet 2 IN V EN TOR. Jaw/ Dow/v 5,, By Jasz u Bl-Trap.

ATORNEYS.

April 23, 1-929. J. DOWN 'ET AL 1,710,046

CLOSURE FOR RAILROAD CARS Filed May 10, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 4/ I I" I'lllfil l/l/l/l/lI/l/l '//I/ ?,\l

A," 4 w; 3%! Z"! 5' INVENTOR.

. BY J0: PH ,F/TTA-z. 6 V 7 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. JOHN DOWN AND aosnrn A. B TTER, or WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA.

CLOSURE FOR RAILROAD CARS.

p Application filed May 10,

The present invention relates to improvements in closures for railroad cars, and its particular object is to provide a closure adapted for cars in which loose grain is carried,

ear the boards'are broken away so that the grain may roll freely through the door opening. A disadvantage of this procedure is that the nailing of the boards and the removal thereof takes considerable time, spoils the appearance of the door frame and results in enormous waste of material, due to the fact that the boardsare hardly overused over 51ers theobject of the present invention to provide a permanent door for grain cars of this character, the peculiar characteristics of the door being that it is suspended from a horizontal axis for free swinging motion in the door opening, that it is laterally expansihle so that it may be interlocked with the door frame, and, furthermore,that it is slidable vertically and guided in sueha manner that it may be pulled from its active position in the door frame to an inactive position in adjacent relation to the roof of the car, so as to be out of the way altogether.

Further objects and advantages of our in- Vention will appear as the specification 'proceeds, U

The preferred form of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 shows a front view of our door in operative relation to the surrounding parts of a railroad car, F igure 2 a horizontal section taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1, Figure 3 a detail View of a locking means taken along line 33 of Figure 4, Figure l a plan view of the said locking means, Figure 5 a detail view of a driving connection for raising the door, Figure-6 a vertical section taken along line 6-6 of Figure 1, Figure 7 an enlarged detail view in side elevation of a carriage for the door and guide means there for, Figure8 an end elevation of the same mechanism, Figure 9 a fragmentary rear view of the bottomof the'door, Figure 10 an on larged detail View of an operating mechanism for, expanding and contracting the door, Figure 11 a seetionalview taken along line 1926. Serial No. 107,970.

plate of sheet metal and is of a Widthslightly lessthan that of the door openingQ of the car 3. It is supported by means of a rod 4 secured to the back side of the door in parallel relation to the upper edge thereof, which rod is supported in two carriages G, which latter comprise two grooved wheels 7 connected by links 8. These carriages, which are outside of the door opening, ride on bows 9 extending from a point below the top of the door as at 11 upwardly to run first substantially parallel to the wall of the car and later substantially parallel tojthe roof thereof, as is well illustrated in Figures 12 to 15. Thelower end of each bow turns away from the wall of the car, as shown at 12, so as to V be spaced therefrom and to allowthe carriage 6 to be accommodated between the lower end of the bow and an opposingguide member 13 secured to the door frame.

It will be noted that this arrangement allows the door, when in its lowermost position, to swing back and forth freely in the 'door opening and to be moved upward when the carriage 6 is made to ascend the bow 9.

Such motion is imparted to the door by means of the chains 14: connecting the lower edge of the door, as at 16, with spools 17 on the horizontal shaft 1.8 mounted parallel and back of the upper frame member 19. Rotary motion may be imparted to this shaft by meansof a second vertical shaft 21 mounted alongside of one of the vertical frame members 22of the door opening through the-beveled gears 23 and 24. The shaft 21 extends through the bottom 26 of the car and is provided at the bottom with a wheel 27 having a handle 28 and a ratchet 29 adapted to be engaged by a pawl 31 for holding the same against reverse motion. The wheel is also formed with a series of annularly arranged perforations 32 adapted to receive the end of a hook 33 for locking the wheel against motion either way. i

As stated before, the normal width of the door is such that the same freely swings in the door opening. To allow the door to be interlocked withthe door frame, we inalr the same laterally expansible in the following manner :The bottoin'an'd top ends of the door, which latter for the purposes of a grain car need only cover about two-thirds of the door opening, are turned over as 56 ing' inwardly therefrom in parallel ans spaced,

4:2. 7 The pin may be operated by relation, the bars being guided by the plate 42 'fastened to the door by means of bolts and meshing with a pinion l liXed to a pin &6 extending through thedoor and the plate reams of a uer guided handle all. The wings may be in -forhorizontalniotion by means of two sets or bolts 48 riding in slots 4:9 it will be seen that .the wings may be pro ected outwardly by a turn oi the handle at? and maybe drawn inwardly by a turn in the opposi c direction. 7 Thedoor is formed with a lap 51 at the bottoni thereof, which'latter is hinged to the door, as shown at 52, and is adapted to form a tight closure so as to prevent the grain from rolling out underneath thedo'or. v

As seen from FigureslQ'to l4, doors of this character may be arranged on opposite sides of the fear, provided the bows are arranged in suchQa manner as to allow the doors to clear one another when in an inactive position.

The door is operated in the following man ner. VVheniit is'desired to load the car, the door is swung into a vertical position within theffraine opening, the handle i7 is open, ated to swing the wings outwardly into engagementwiththe grooves 39 and the wings are locked'in this position by means of a latch 50 pivoted to one of the wings at 51 adapted to bear with its front end against the plate 42, The flap 51st the bottom Fi 'ureb. The 'loadin of the naturally assun esthe position indicated in car through the opening above the door maynow be proceeded with, the door remaining firmly i 3 J J 7 locked until theoplace of destination hasbeen reached. The grain, lying loosely in the car, presses against the door from the inside. To unload thefcar, the latch 50 removed andlthe handled? turnedto draw the two wings inwardly.- The width of the door being now less thanthat or the door opening,

"theweight of the grain forces the door out- V wardlyaiitornatically, sub stantially into the position illustrated '1Il *Fll'lllfE l3.

hinged flap Shot course, does not place any obstacle inithe'way. A. large portion of the grain may flow out through the opening thus the top of the car,

' for loo relation to the roof of the car. The entire door opening is now clear, and the work oi cleaning t-hecar may be done unhainpered.

l l here doors are provided on opposite sides, the same may be easily handled by means oi: t

o sets of properly shapedbows', as illustrated in Figures 12 to 15. The doors are locked in their r spective positions by means of the-hook 33, which, for this purpose, is introduced in one of the holes 32 of the wheel 27.

To get the ear ready for re-loa'ding, the wheel 27 is released from the hook 33, and'is turnedto allow the doors'to come downby their own weight. Whenthe bottom of the door reaches the floor, othedoor is made to register with the grooves 39, whereupon the handle are turned for forcing the two wings into said roovoawhereby the door isinter locked r lithe frame. After applying the latch 50, the door is thus firmly held, and the loading of the car may he proceeded with.

Havingdescribed our invention, we claim: '1. In combination with a box car having a door opening therein, a rdoor of a width slightlyless than the door opening, a rod secured totheinside face of the door in parallel relation and adj aeent to the upper edge there of, a carriage outside of the door-opening on eachend oi the rod, said rod being pivotally supported in said c rri ges; an archedguide for each carriage, each guide being secured to the sides and to the top or the box cane straight'oortion of each guide extending from a point below the top or the door upwardly substantially in parallelism with the side wall of the box car and spaced therefrom, so as to allow the traveling oi thecarriago between said side walland the guide, about arched portion of the guide extending in continuation of the straight portion and substantially in parallelism with a roof of the box 'car, means to the lower edge of the doorlor forcing said carriages t ride on said guides and for simultaneously swinging said door outwardly are ind said pivot rod so as to:p.erinitthe moving of the door bysaid raising means to a position'between said guides and 1 icons alter the door raised; and means g the door against swinging in the door openingwhen lowered, 1 e 2. In combination with a box car having a door opening therein, a door of a width slightly less than the door opening, a rod secured tothe inside face of the door in parallel means for log-king said raisrelation and adjacent to the upper edge thereof, a carriage outside of the door opening on each end of the rod, said rod being pivotally supported in said carriages, an arched guide for each carriage, each guide being secured to the sides and to the top of the box car, a straight portion of each guide extending from a point below the top of the door upwardly substantially in parallelism "with the side Wallof the box car and spaced therefrom, so as to allow the traveling of the carriage between said side wall and the guide, a-

bent arched portion of the guide extending in continuation of the straight portion and sub- Wstantially in parallelism with a root of the box car; flexible means connected to the lower edge of the door for raising the door; rotatable means disposed adjacent to the upper edge of the door opening for Winding said flexible means, thus forcing said carriages to ride upon the guides and simultanenously swinging the door outwardly around said pivot rod; means for locking said winding means against rotation, and means laterally expansible beyond the side edge of the door vtor locking the door against swinging in the door opening when lowered.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

JOHN Down. JOSEPH A. BITTER. 

